The birth of the Via dell’Amore in La Spezia was due to an incidental circumstance: the expansion, which began in 1920, of the railway tunnel on the La Spezia-Genoa line that connects the Riomaggiore station to Manarola.
To secure the two locations, a sort of “deposit” was built to store the explosive materials necessary for the construction works. To connect the opposite work sites, it was necessary to carve two small paths into the rock.
It was only some time after the completion of the railway doubling works and the removal of the explosive deposit that the idea began to spread among the inhabitants of the two towns to use those two small paths carved into the rock to connect Riomaggiore and Manarola. Until then, the only form of connection between the two villages had been the long and arduous path that crossed the Costa di Corniolo, to the point that contacts between the two communities were almost nonexistent, as evidenced by the fact that two different dialects of the Ligurian language were spoken there.
In the 1930s, the municipal administration thus began the works, and thanks to the work of volunteers and the generosity of citizens who allowed passage through their property, the Via dell’Amore was born. It was so named because it soon became a destination for young lovers. In any case, “Via dell’Amore” was chosen as the official name of the road by the Riomaggiore municipal administration, which promoted the installation of a series of benches dedicated to heroes and deities of Greek and Roman mythology in the 1960s.
During the 1990s, the Via dell’Amore La Spezia remained closed to transit for a long period due to the danger of landslides caused by the collapse of the overlying slopes.
In recent years, the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has promoted a series of interventions to improve the aesthetics and usability of the Via dell’Amore: a new railing, a solar-powered pathway lighting system, new paving, a rest area equipped with tables with fountains, special elevators for the disabled located at both ends of the path.
The Via dell’Amore has become famous worldwide for its beauty: surrounded by dense typically Mediterranean vegetation, it offers breathtaking views, sheer above the sea.
On July 26, 2024, the Via dell’Amore will finally be reopened to the public after 12 years of major restoration and safety works on the path that overlooks the sea.
A symbol of the Cinque Terre and all of Liguria, the Via dell’Amore is a kilometer of beauty and infinite enchantment.
Staying at Downtown Blue Apartment, you can reach in a few minutes by train one of the most beautiful and fascinating coastal stretches of Liguria and Italy.